Tomerianism
The Tomerian faith was started by the prophet Tomer. After being cast out from his dwarf hold for heresy, he took his preaching to the gnome. The faith quickly spread within gnomish society, permeating their political system and uniting the disparate Gnomes into a single cohesive nation. The humans, who had enjoyed warm relations with the gnomes, were exposed to the Tomerian faith and quickly abandoned their worship of nature spirits, with the exception of the humans living in foggy island of Dal Raita. Faith Tomerians believe that the creator (called Seraph by Tomerians) created mundane reality with the intention of later imbuing it with magic. They believe that when the dwarf wished for magic, and got it in the event known as the Disordering, that Seraph was granting them a gift and not a punishment. They point to all the life and different races that have resulted fromthis event as a good thing. Tomerians consider themselves to be agents acting on behalf of Seraph personally. Their religion has many different expressions, but a common theme is the need for all life to worship the divine Seraph, and upon doing so, Seraph will return to them all and finish perfecting the world. Due to their view of all creation as a work-in-progress, they take it upon themselves to go out into the world and imrpove it. Tomerians believe that the most devout, faithful and loyal among them can ascend to Sainthood. Each saint embodies specific values, ideals, traits and so on of the Tomerian religion. Due to the blessings given to them directly by Seraph these being live long lives and can channel divine power to accomplish great things. Orders Many Tomerian knights, paladins, monks, clerics and lay people organise themselves into Orders. Each chapter is especially dedicated to accomplishing a specific mission, and their members can be quite zealous. **'Wardens of the Damned'** The Wardens of the Damned task themselves with the unenviable mission of jailing as many demons as they can in difficult, hard to locate dungeons across the world. Due to the immortal nature of Demons, killing one simply results in them rematerialising later to cause havoc again; and so imprisoning a Demon is the most wise manner to dispose of them. Due to the potency of some of the most powerful demons, a simple mundane prison is insufficient. The most dangerous demons are placed into the bodies of brave volunteers, who then while possessed are imprisoned. **Order of the Cleansing Flame** The Order of the Cleansing Flame is a band of rabid inquisitors. They patrol Tomerian lands, rooting out heresy, warlocks, undead, monsters and murderers. They have a bloody reputation, but despite this are the first that many villages and towns will turn to when dealing with kidnappings or other dark omens. **Order of Innovation** With a high level of Gnomish membership, the Order of Innovation seeks to improve the lives of all folk. They send agents on missions with other Orders to help assist with their knowledge, they work with builders to improve infrastructure, they work with wizards to investigate material matter and more. Their Orderhall houses the notable Library of the Ages, a massive library in the heart of the Gnomish nation. **The Golden Hearts** The Golden Hearts are a beloved group. Many Tomerian adherents look up to them as inspiring figures. They travel either in small bands or solo and seek to improve the lives of people around them, faithful or not. They will try to set an example for others to live up to and inspire non-Tomerians to convert. All kinds of folk join The Golden Hearts, from wandering Bards to dashing Rogues. They will accept anyone into thier ranks who live up to their ideals. Saints Though Tomeriansim is a monotheistic faith, most devout followers of the religion pray to and follow the teachings of Saints rather than the Seraph. These Saints embody different parts of Seraph's creation, and though most faithful Tomerians will identify and prefer one they are all considered partially divine through the direct blessing of Seraph. Some examples include: * Saint Hadriel, a figure who embodied patience and wisdom. She died during the early days of Tomerian spread to the human kingdoms, being a key figure in preaching the faith. * Saint Gyffard, a conquering king who embodied bravery and martial glory. * Saint Avelot, a Living Saint who has devoted her life to scholarly persuit. * Saint Stevyn, a saint who began as a lowly serf and escaped his cruel lord, travelling the land applying his skills with herbs to cure the sick. * Saint Pidwick, a gnome who has spent most of his life abroad, trying to spread the faith to all living people. * Sanit Wygnen, a gnome who has used her wiles and trickery to avoid a great amount of bloodshed while working as a diplomat.